#3462 - Brussels Sprouts Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 onion (chopped)
1 red potato (washed, peeled and cubed)
2 TBSP butter
1lb. fresh or frozen brussels sprouts (thawed and drained)
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper (to your taste)
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
chopped or flaked parsley (to your taste)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
salad croutons

In a saucepan over medium heat add butter--melt. Add chopped onions--cook/stir until tender. Add chicken broth, brussels sprouts, salt, parsley and pepper--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, turn heat back to simmer and simmer for 15 minutes or until brussels sprouts are very tender. Remove from heat--scoop some of the mixture into a blender and beat until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup until all soup is smooth, then return soup to the saucepan. Put the saucepan back over medium heat. In a bowl add egg yolk and heavy cream--beat until mixed. While stirring, add the egg mixture to the hot soup mixture. Cook/stir until mixture thickens and is hot. When serving, top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and croutons (if you wish).

#3461 - BLT Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 lb. bacon
romaine lettuce
Italian style croutons
1 small container cherry tomatoes
shredded cheese (your choice of type)
balsamic vinegar salad dressing OR Italian salad dressing

Fry the bacon, then place it on paper towels to soak up extra grease. Wash the romaine lettuce, then tear it into pieces and place it in a large salad bowl. Crumble the bacon and spread the bacon pieces over the lettuce. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and spread them over the top of the bacon. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Spread Italian croutons over the top. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top and toss until mixed. Serve immediately.

#3445 - Tortellini Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 9oz. package cheese tortellini
10oz. fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (more if you wish)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 small can sliced black olives (drained)
1 - 8oz. bottle robust Italian dressing
1 bag Italian style croutons
fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Prepare cheese tortellini according to package directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. Wash the baby spinach with cold water, then drain the spinach. Slice each cherry tomato in half. In a large bowl add drained cheese tortellini, drained baby spinach, drained olives, sliced cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and HALF of the Italian dressing--toss to coat. Add more dressing to suit your taste, then toss again. Top with Italian style croutons and fresh ground black pepper.

#3443 - Crushed Tomato Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

30oz. chicken broth
1 - 28oz. can crushed tomatoes (regular OR Italian style)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper (to your taste)
Italian style croutons
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan over medium heat add chicken broth and crushed tomatoes--cook/stir until it just starts to boil. Turn heat back to low and cook/stir for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream--stir until well mixed. Add salt and pepper--stir. Taste--add more salt/pepper as necessary. Once you have the flavor right, carefully pour the whole mixture into a blender--set blender on puree and puree the soup until smooth. Pour soup into bowls, top with croutons and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

#3379 - Pierogi Spinach Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups chicken broth
1 - 28oz. can diced tomatoes
6oz. cut green beans (drained and cut into small pieces)
1/2 lb. fresh spinach (washed and drained)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Italian style croutons
1 - 12oz. bag mini pierogis with potato and onions

Cut the drained spinach into bite sized pieces. In a pot add chicken broth and diced tomatoes/juice--stir well. Cook/stir over medium heat until it starts to boil. Add the bag of mini pierogis--cook/stir until boiling again. Add green beans pieces--turn heat back to simmer. Add the spinach pieces--stir. Simmer until spinach is done to your liking. Serve in bowls and top with Italian croutons and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

#3268 - Swiss Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups cooked bite sized chicken pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups croutons (your choice of flavor)
2/3 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
2-4 ribs celery (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped onions (more if you wish)

In a large bowl add shredded Swiss cheese, croutons, mayo, milk, celery and onions--stir well. Add chicken pieces--stir to coat. Spread the mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is hot. Optional: if using large croutons, you can break them into smaller pieces.

#3267 - Crushed Croutons and Sprouts

(by Shirley McNevich)

16oz. to 32oz. fresh Brussels sprouts (or use frozen ones if you wish)
1/3 cup crushed croutons (your choice of flavor)
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 TBSP black pepper (less if you wish)
1/2 tsp. salt

Place croutons in a Ziploc bag a few at a time--pound the outside with your fist until they are crushed. Repeat until you have 1/3 cup crushed croutons. In a bowl add crushed croutons, Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt--stir well with a fork until mixed. Cook Brussels sprouts in salted water until tender, then drain them. Slice a few Brussels sprouts in half and place them in a serving bowl--sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese mixture over the top. Keep repeating with layers of halved Brussels sprouts and layers of sprinkled Parmesan cheese mixture. Optional: instead of boiling the sprouts in salted water, slice the raw sprouts in half, place them in a bowl with 1-2 TBSP olive oil, and toss to coat. Place the sprouts round side up on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until edges start to brown and sprouts are tender. Layer as above with the Parmesan cheese mixture.

#3093 - Parmesan Tomato Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 small onions (chopped)
2 TBSP canola oil OR olive oil
1 - 28oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. oregano
1 small block fresh Parmesan cheese (shaved)
Italian style croutons
ground black pepper to taste
salt (if needed; the chicken broth usually makes it salty enough)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add canola oil and chopped onions--cook/stir until onions are tender. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and any juice in the can, chicken broth, oregano and ground black pepper to the onions--turn heat to simmer, stir, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat--transfer mixture into a blender and blend on high speed until mixed and smooth. If soup is hot enough, pour soup into bowls and top the soup with croutons and some shaved Parmesan cheese. If you want the soup hotter, pour the mixture back into the Dutch oven and cook/stir over medium low heat until hot before putting in bowls and adding croutons/Parmesan cheese.

#857 - Barbeque Chicken Caesar Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bottle Caesar salad dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch romaine lettuce (washed in cold water and broken into bite sized pieces)
1 box Caesar salad croutons
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bottle Kraft (or your favorite brand) barbeque sauce
salt and pepper to your taste

Poke the chicken breasts with a fork all over and on both sides. Place the barbeque sauce in a Ziploc bag with the chicken breasts--zip the bag and shake to coat. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator a few hours, then cook chicken on a grill. Make sure as you're grilling the chicken to pour the extra barbeque sauce left in the bag on the chicken as it grills. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper as it cooks on the grill. When done, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large salad bowl add the romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing (as much as you like)--toss to coat. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and real bacon bits on top of the salad. Sprinkle the croutons on top. Arrange the chicken pieces on top.

#840 - Microwave Croutons

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 slices of bread (cut carefully into cubes)

Spray a microwave safe baking dish with Pam--set aside. Add the butter to a microwave safe coffee cup and microwave on high for about :25 seconds or until the butter is melted. Remove from microwave and add parsley, paprika, garlic salt and pepper--stir. Spread bread cubes on the bottom of the baking dish. Carefully pour the butter mixture on top of the bread cubes, then shake and stir until bread cubes are coated. Place baking dish in microwave and cook on high uncovered for 3 minutes or until bread cubes are golden brown and crispy (stir the cubes once every minute while cooking them).